<font size=2 face="sans-serif"><b>Call for Papers:</b></font>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">18th Americas Conference on Information
Systems - AMCIS 2012</font>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">Seattle, Washington</font>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">August 9-12, 2012</font>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif"> </font>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif"><u>Track</u>:
IT Project Management Track</font>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif"><u>Minitrack</u>:
Agile Project Management</font>
<br>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif"><u>Chair</u>:
Meghann Drury, Fordham University</font>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif"><u>Co-Chair</u>:
Orla McHugh, National University of Ireland, Galway</font>
<br>
<br>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif"><b>Description of Agile Project Management
Minitrack:<br>
</b>Agile methodologies were developed in response to frustrations with
traditional software development methodologies and the management of software
development projects. As organizations increasingly continue to adopt agile
methodologies, a number of challenges have emerged in relation to agile
project management (APM). For example, agile software development (ASD)
teams work largely on their own and manage their own workload, which is
a cultural shift for managers, developers, and customers alike. Managers
must relinquish control to the team and avoid the imposition of too many
formal controls or too much structure, which may result in unintended consequences.
This dramatic change provides challenges for advocates of agile methodologies
who can find it difficult to obtain management support for implementing
agile methodologies. </font>
<div>
<p><font size=2 face="sans-serif">Yet, strong project management is required
for the successful adoption and application of agile methodologies. Project
management methods that existed for traditional information systems development
projects may no longer be appropriate, or may require modification for
ASD teams as they rely on collaboration and communication. Therefore, it
is imperative that appropriate controls and project management processes
are in place for such teams to deliver successful projects. </font>
<p><font size=2 face="sans-serif">Management must also develop a better
understanding of the factors that help ASD teams drive project success.
These include selecting appropriate personnel for the team to ensure they
can work well together because people, environment, and organizational
culture all influence one another. Other factors driving project success
include creating an open work environment, ensuring the correct decisions
are made, encouraging continuous communication with the customer, tolerating
and anticipating mistakes, encouraging learning and the sharing and transferring
of knowledge, and establishing evaluation and reward systems based on team
performance. Agile methodologies rely heavily on teams and teamwork as
opposed to individual work; therefore, reward systems must be modified
to reward team effort as opposed to individual efforts. As a result, the
challenges that relate to the precise definition of required behaviors
and measurement of the contribution of each individual to the team are
especially prevalent in the context of ASD teams. </font>
<p><font size=2 face="sans-serif"> Empirical research in agile methodologies
is continuously growing. Yet, little research exists on the management
of ASD teams as agile methodologies imply there is no need for a project
manager. However, ASD teams require leadership and a different approach
to project management. Therefore, we are seeking high quality research
papers that investigate various aspects of agile project management. Possible
topics include, but are not limited to:</font>
<ul>
<li><font size=2 face="sans-serif">Management challenges with implementing
agile methodologies</font>
<li><font size=2 face="sans-serif">Managing co-located, virtual and / or
distributed agile teams</font>
<li><font size=2 face="sans-serif">Control modes and mechanisms employed
by agile teams</font>
<li><font size=2 face="sans-serif">Decision-making and governance in agile
teams</font>
<li><font size=2 face="sans-serif">Agile culture</font>
<li><font size=2 face="sans-serif">Customer relationships</font>
<li><font size=2 face="sans-serif">Contract management</font>
<li><font size=2 face="sans-serif">Best practices in agile project management</font>
<li><font size=2 face="sans-serif">Agile project success</font>
<li><font size=2 face="sans-serif">Evaluation and reward systems</font>
<li><font size=2 face="sans-serif">Trends in agile project management</font></ul>
<p><font size=2 face="sans-serif"><b>Submission Process:<br>
</b>Full paper submissions must be made electronically through Manuscript
Central. Papers will be peer reviewed using a double-blind system. </font>
<p>
<p><font size=2 face="sans-serif"><b>Important Dates: </b></font>
<ul>
<li><font size=2 face="sans-serif"><b>March 1, 2012: (11:59 PM Pacific
time zone):</b> Deadline for paper submissions </font>
<li><font size=2 face="sans-serif"><b>April 2, 20012:</b> Authors will
be notified of acceptances on or about this date </font>
<li><font size=2 face="sans-serif"><b>April 20, 2012: (11:59 PM Pacific
time zone):</b> For accepted papers, camera ready copy due</font></ul><font size=2 face="sans-serif">More
information is available at </font><a href=http://amcis2012.aisnet.org/><font size=2 color=blue face="sans-serif">http://amcis2012.aisnet.org/</font></a><font size=2 face="sans-serif">or
by contacting the minitrack co-chairs.</font>
<table border>
<tr valign=top>
<td colspan=2><font size=2 face="sans-serif"><b>Track Co-Chairs:</b></font>
<tr valign=top>
<td><font size=2 face="sans-serif">Meghann Drury, Chair</font>
<td><font size=2 face="sans-serif">Orla McHugh, Co-Chair</font>
<tr valign=top>
<td><font size=2 face="sans-serif">Fordham University</font>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">Graduate School of Business Administration
</font>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">Gabelli School of Business<br>
1790 Broadway, Suite 1108 <br>
New York, NY 10019 <br>
USA</font>
<td><font size=2 face="sans-serif">J.E. Cairnes School of Business &
Economics</font>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">NUI Galway</font>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">Galway</font>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">Ireland</font>
<tr valign=top>
<td><font size=2 face="sans-serif">Phone: +1 (847) 219 6423</font>
<td><font size=2 face="sans-serif">Phone: +353 0(91) 49 5283</font>
<tr valign=top>
<td><a href=mailto:mdrury@fordham.edu><font size=2 color=blue face="sans-serif"><u>mdrury@fordham.edu</u></font></a>
<td><a href=mailto:orla.mchugh@nuigalway.ie><font size=2 color=blue face="sans-serif"><u>orla.mchugh@nuigalway.ie</u></font></a></table>
<p>
<p><font size=2 face="sans-serif">Kindly,</font>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">Meghann</font>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">_________________________________________________</font>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">Dr. Meghann L. Drury, Ph.D., M.A., H.Dip.B.S.</font>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">Assistant Professor</font>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">Communication & Media Management</font>
<br>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">Fordham University</font>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">Graduate School of Business Administration</font>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">Gabelli School of Business</font>
<br>
<br><a href=mailto:mdrury@fordham.edu><font size=2 color=blue face="sans-serif"><u>mdrury@fordham.edu</u></font></a><font size=2 face="sans-serif">
</font>
<br><a href=http://business.fordham.edu/faculty/drury/index.asp><font size=2 color=blue face="sans-serif"><u>http://business.fordham.edu/faculty/drury/index.asp</u></font></a>
<br>
<br><font size=1 face="sans-serif"><u>Lincoln Center Office:</u></font>
<br><font size=1 face="sans-serif">1790 Broadway, Suite 1108</font>
<br><font size=1 face="sans-serif">New York, NY 10019, USA </font>
<br><font size=1 face="sans-serif">+1 646 293 3933
</font>
<br>
<br><font size=1 face="sans-serif"><u>Rose Hill Office:</u></font>
<br><font size=1 face="sans-serif">Collins Hall, Room B25</font>
<br><font size=1 face="sans-serif">Bronx, NY 10458, USA</font>
<br><font size=1 face="sans-serif">+1 718 817 0172</font>
<br></div>